GB2235859A - Satay maker - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for making satays, kebabs or other food products comprises a food product mould formed from two plate like members (1, 2) movable to bring them into engagement to form a cavity (5) in which a food product may be moulded. The members may form a convoluted, repeatedly folded or serpentine cavity. Pressure-applying and locking arrangements may be provided to the two members (1, 2) together whilst the food product is being moulded. The device includes a plurality of pathways such as slots 8, 9 intersecting the cavity so that in use a skewer inserted in a pathway repeatedly penetrates foodstuff disposed in the cavity. After pressing, the skewered food stuff may be cut along channels (10) formed in member 2 of the mould to produce individual satays or kebabs. <IMAGE>

Description

SATAY MAKER This invention relates to apparatus for making satays, kebabs or other food products wherein one or more pieces of food stuff are located upon a skewer, spit or other elongate member to facilitate cooking (referred to hereafter simply as a skewer).

Kebabs including chopped or minced meat may be prepared either by extrusion or by packing the meat into a container, inserting several skewers and cutting the compacted food stuff into individually skewered portions.

According to the present invention a food product mould comprises a plurality of members moveable from a first position wherein the members are in spaced relation and a second position wherein the members define a cavity having the configuration of a moulded food product, a plurality of pathways intersecting said cavity and arranged so that a skewer inserted in a said pathway repeatedly penetrates foodstuff disposed in said cavity.

The invention may be used for preparation of satays, kebabs, escalopes or other products wherein meat or other food stuffs are repeatedly folded and located upon a skewer. A plurality of sausages or roulades may also be skewered either separately or in addition to the aforementioned foodstuffs.

The members preferably have formations extending from respective surfaces thereof arranged to interpenetrate in said second position. The interpenetrating formations may form a convoluted, repeatedly folded or serpentine cavity which may have a uniform thickness or alternating regions of different thicknesses to accomodate different foodstuffs for example sausages. The formations may comprise ribs, finger-like projections or a matrix of raised ridges disposed to co-operate with respective recesses between the formations of the other member.

Preferred embodiments of the invention include two members although more may be employed as desired.

The apparatus may further comprise means for urging the members into engagement, for example a lever, cam arrangement.

screw press or the like. A lock may be provided to hold the members in the second configuration. preferably with pressure applied to a food product disposed in said cavity. The lock may comprise an overcentre arrangement. The means for urging the members into engagement and the locking arrangement may be adjustable to alter the width of the cavity.

Apparatus in accordance with the preferred aspect of this invention includes a plurality of guides for cutting the food stuffs between the skewer pathways. The guides may comprise slots, channels or an array of guides located between the formations of one of the members.

The apparatus may further comprise a sharpened skewer for piercing meat or other foodstuffs disposed in the cavity to facilitate subsequent insertion of a skewer.

The invention is further described by means of example but not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is an end elevation of a mould in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of a top plate of the mould.

Figure 3 is a plan of the base plate of the mould.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the mould.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a plate shown in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the press for use with the members shown in Figures 1 to 5.

Figure 7 is an end elevation of the press.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the press.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of an alternative mould.

The mould shown in Figures 1 to 5 comprises first and second members 1, 2, the member 1 being shown in Figures 2 and 4 and the member being shown in Figures 3 and 5. The members are generally plate-like and are provided with respective arrays of raised formations 3, 4 which co-operate when the members 1, 2 are brought into the engagement so that when lands 6, 7 are brought into engagement the projections 3, 4 define a cavity 5 within which a food product may be moulded. The formations may have surfaces which are inclined to the direction of engagement of the members (as shown) or may less preferably comprise vertically exteinding pegs. The cavity 5 may have a variety of configurations depenedent upon the food product to be moulded.

For moulding thinly sliced meat the cavity may have a generally constant width. Portions of greater width may be provided to accomodate sausages or other larger food stuffs. The cavity may be repeatedly folded, having a serpentine or zig-zag configuration as shown in Figure 1.

Formations 3, 4 are arranged to define pathways which extend laterally of the mould in a parallel configuration to facilitate insertion of skewers through the folded meat or other food stuffs disposed in the cavity. Slots 9 in the member 2 are arranged to be aligned with corresponding slots 8 in the member 1 to define such pathways. Pathways preferably extend generally centrally or axially of the serpentine cavity 5.

Further slots 10 are deeper than the slots 9 and extend between the latter cross-wise of the member 2. The slots 10 serve as guides for a knife used to cut the food products to individually skewered portions.

Figures 6 to 8 illustrate a press and locking arrangement for use with the mould shown in Figures 1 to 5. The press includes a holder 20 comprising a folded plate dimensioned to receive the members 1 and 2 (collectively indicated at 21 in Figure 7). The holder 20 is open at one side to facilitate insertion of the skewers. Pillars 22 extending upwardly from the sides of the holder 20 support a shaft or like linkage 23 carrying a plurality of cams 24. Each cam has an eccentric circular configuration although alternative configurations may be employed. The handle 25 which extends from one of the cams 24, facilitates rotation of the latter in use. Adjustment screws 26 bear against the shaft 23 and allow vertical adjustment of the latter.

Alternative clamping and locking means may be provided. For example a plate may be arranged to bear on the upper surface of the mould 21 and a weighted lever, screw press, lever and locking arrangement, spring or other similar means may be provided to urge the mould members together to pack the food stuff while the skewers are inserted. The apparatus may be turned onto its back edge so that the skewers may be conveniently inserted in a downward direction.

In use of the embodiment shown in the drawings, thinly sliced pieces of meat together with seasoning, vegetables etc as desired are placed onto the lower mould plate 3 and the upper mould plate 2 is placed upon it. The assembled mould can then be placed on the plate 20 and the lever 25 rotated so that the-cams 24 bear against the mould and urge the mould members together.

compressing the food stuffs so that the lands 6, 7 abut.

Rotation of lever 25 beyond the maximum extension of the cams 24 affords an overcentre locking arrangement holding the mould members together while skewers (not shown) are inserted through the pathways defined by the slots 8 and 9. A sharpened metal skewer (not shown) may be used to pierce the food stuffs prior to insertion of more fragile wooden skewers. Removal of the moulds from the press followed by raising of the upper mould portion 1 allows the skewered food stuff to be cut along the channels 10 into individually skewered portions.

Figure 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein upper and lower plates 30, 31 carry interpenetrating projections 32, 33 respectively, the projections having rounded ends. The recesses between the projections 34, 35 have a rectangular configuration so that the food product resultant from use of the apparatus has an attractive rectangularly ribbed appearance.

Use of the present invention allows easy preparation of satays, pscalopes or other food stuffs formed from lean meat portions. Fully trimmed lean meat is expensive. The apparatus of this invention allows a butcher to use a relatively small quantity of meat to produce an attractive convenient food product.

Claims (15)

1. A food product mould comprising a plurality of members (1, 2) moveable from a first position wherein the members are in spaced relation and a second position wherein the members define a cavity (5) having the configuration of a moulded food product, a plurality of pathways intersecting said cavity and arranged so that a skewer inserted in a said pathway repeatedly penetrates foodstuff disposed in said cavity.

2. A food product mould as claimed in claim 1 wherein the members (1, 2) have formations (3, 4) extending from respective surfaces thereof arranged to interpenetrate in said second position.

3. A food product mould as claimed in claim 2 wherein the formations (3, 4) form a convoluted, repeatedly folded or serpentine cavity (5) when interpenetrating in said second position.

4. A food product mould as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the cavity (5) has a uniform thickness.

5. A food product mould as claimed in any one of claims to 3 wherein the cavity (5) has alternating regions of different thickness.

6. A food product mould as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the formations comprise a matrix of raised ridges disposed to cooperate with respective recesses between the formations of the other member.

7. A food product mould as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising two members (1, 2).

8. A food product mould as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising means for urging the members into engagement.

9. A food product mould as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a lock to hold the members (1, 2) in the second configuration.

10. A food product mould as claimed in claim 9 wherein the lock holds the members (1, 2) in the second configuration with pressure applied to a foodstuff disposed in said cavity.

11. A food product mould as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the lock comprises an overcentre arrangement (24, 25).

12. A food product mould as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein the means for urging the members into engagement and the locking arrangement are adjustable to alter the width of the cavity.

13. A food product mould as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of guides (10) for cutting the foodstuff between the pathways.

14. A food product mould as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a sharpened skewer for piercing foodstuff disposed in the cavity.

15. A food product mould substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.